YMCA honors community leaders at annual meeting

JIM JARVIS

The YMCA has come a long way since it began in Fond du Lac in 1904, but the vision, mission and impact has never died. Financially, the Y had the strongest year on record for the past two decades. And through the 2012 Annual Support Campaign, the Y raised over $110,000 to support programs such as Learn to Swim and Y5210, and provide membership assistance to over 1,000 members.

For the past 85 years, the Kiwanis Learn to Swim program has been providing free swim lessons and water safety for youth in the Fond du Lac area. Over 550 children in the community participated in this program last summer. In the fall of 2012, the Y partnered with 15 classrooms throughout Fond du Lac County to launch the new Y5210 program as part of their efforts to fight youth obesity under the new direction of the Healthy Fond du Lac County 2020 initiative.

The YMCA Child Care continues to serve over 100 children daily with a new YMCA of the USA initiative to become the healthiest child care provider in the nation by focusing on healthy meals served with whole grains, replacing sugar-sweetened juices with water and building one hour of physical activity into each child's daily curriculum.

The YMCA has always believed in giving back and providing support to others, and community outreach continues to be the fabric of everyday life at the Y. By supporting efforts such as Super Spin Saturday to supply health care needs in Rosita, Nicaragua, providing space for ASTOP to raise awareness and funds to tackle sexual abuse issues, and hosting elementary school outings to encourage wellness among families, the Y is committed to its cause of strengthening the foundations of our community.

Several community leaders were recognized when the Fond du Lac Family YMCA held its annual meeting recently at Trinity Hall. They include:

? Steve Little was the recipient of the YMCA Volunteer of the Year award. Steve served as Board President during a critical time for the Y, and through his volunteerism the Y saw it through some of its darkest days. During his tenure on the Board, Steve contributed greatly to getting the Y to where it is today by securing the remaining capital campaign dollars necessary to finish the project. Donor by donor, visit by visit Steve articulated the need for this project to finish strong, but more importantly he spoke from his heart about what the Y means to this community. And through this work, he continued to lay the groundwork for future support, ensuring the Y will remain a positive force in the community for many years to come.

? Stephanie Jaber was selected as the Newcomer of the Year award winner. As a board member, Stephanie visited with key community leaders and donors to share the important work the Y does to strengthen the Fond du Lac community. Being new to the board can sometimes take some adjustments, but Stephanie jumped right in and in a passionate way shared impactful stories about the difference the Y makes. The Y is thankful for her willingness to not only reach out and secure donor support, but also for her personal commitment and belief in the importance of a healthy YMCA.

Jim Jarvis was presented with the Presidential Award for his service as board president for the past two years. During his term, Jim's primary focus was on operational excellence by striving for efficiency in the building to ensure the Y is providing a clean, convenient, orderly and energy-efficient space for programs. Through his leadership and commitment to providing sufficient programs and securing additional funding to serve all members and the community, the Y grew to nearly 11,000 members by the end of 2012.

The Y expressed its thanks to the following members of the board of directors for their hard work and continued support of the Y during their tenure on the board: Steve Little and Alan Hathaway.

Greg Giles, CEO/executive director of the Y, recognized the following new members to the board of directors: Shayne Bauer, Angela Blamey, Dr. Richard Schaefer and Kelly Twohig.

As a leading nonprofit for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the Y is committed to improving the health and well-being of the Fond du Lac community and helping families achieve healthy living goals.

To learn more about the Fond du Lac Family YMCA, stop in at 90 W. Second St., call 921-3330; or visit www.fdlymca.org

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YMCA honors community leaders at annual meeting

The YMCA has come a long way since it began in Fond du Lac in 1904, but the vision, mission and impact has never died. Financially, the Y had the strongest year on record for the past two decades.

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